This is the easiest, most delicious, one-pot wonder that I make. The whole family loves it and it is great for a weeknight meal or a fast warm weather weekend meal. You do it all in one skillet and it is a great way to get the kids to eat their veggies.
Hidden Veggies- Always a good idea
Kids for the most part do not willingly just eat their veggies, even if they like them. They want to challenge you, push the envelope and test where they can. So, this dish is an awesome way to get them to eat carrots, onions and broccoli!! All in one dish! My girls both love this dinner and it is super simple for me and they get a lot of veggies, protein packed in the chicken and rice. I use brown rice a lot of times too and they still eat it!
Chef’s Tip-Â This is a pretty simple dish, but I will say, make sure that you brown the chicken before adding the rice. Make sure you cook the rice for a few minutes before adding the liquid and season with each additional ingredient going in.
Cheesy chicken and rice with broccoli
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 medium yellow onion diced finely
- 1-2 carrots depending on size, small diced
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste season with each additional ingredient
- 1 cup uncooked extra long grain white rice
- 2 cups broccoli florets cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 1/2 cups of low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- In a large skillet or pan, sauté onions in two tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add in the carrots and saute for a few minutes more until they begin to soften.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper.
- Once onions and carrots soften, increase the heat to medium high and add chicken to the pan.
- Brown the chicken pieces on all side and add the garlic. Cook for about 1 more minute.
- Push chicken to the outside of the pan and add additional tablespoon of olive oil to other side.
- Add the uncooked rice in the olive oil and saute it for a couple of minutes.
- Add the chicken broth to the pan and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cover the pan with a lid.
- Cook chicken and rice mixture covered for about 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle the broccoli evenly over the chicken and rice mixture and stir to combine.
- Continue to cook covered another 6-8 minutes on low, or until broccoli and rice are both tender.
- Remove from heat and stir in half a cup of cheese.
- Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and cover with a lid, letting it sit for 1-2 minutes or until cheese has melted.
